1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a unitary assembly ready for installing into an electrical source, the assembly including a radiant heater and a remote thermally responsive controller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermally responsive controls and associated electrical heaters are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,314,223, 4,694,223, and 5,177,658, issued respectively to Paul J. Kristofek on Feb. 2, 1982, to Steve Campolo on Sep. 15, 1987 and to Stanley S. Brenner et al. on Jan. 5, 1993, thermal protectors detecting dangerously high temperatures in lighting fixtures are described. Each respective protector acts automatically to interrupt current if a predetermined high temperature is reached in the fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,145, issued to John C. Carey on Feb. 11, 1986, and U.K. Pat. Document No. 533,923, accepted Feb. 24, 1941 from the Simplex Electric Company and Percy W. Davis disclose an electrical receptacle or the like which interrupts current available to an appliance plugged into the receptacle when a predetermined temperature is reached.
In the above cases, the circuit interrupter reacts to a high temperature reached in or near the respective device.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,553, issued to John O. Moorhead et al. on Jan. 26, 1954, discloses a thermostatic switch having insulated lead-in conductors enabling the switch to be located remotely from an electrical device being controlled thereby. This invention provides only a control function, and does not include a heater.
Swiss Pat. Document No. 210,165 discloses an electrically operated thermostat which is supported when plugged into an electrical receptacle. This invention does not interrupt a power circuit to a heater, does not include a heater, and is not capable of detecting temperature at a remote point.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.